Ndlozi said it would be unfair to the candidates interviewed on the first day. The later candidates would have time to prepare based on what they saw the committee doing with the first interviews, as the process would be open to the public.

"There has to be fairness as well as quality," said Ndlozi.

DA MP Phumzile van Damme said the interim SABC boards had done well, but that the permanent boards had been problematic.

"We can't drop the ball with the permanent board," she said.

Committee chairperson Humphrey Maxegwana ruled that a maximum of 45 minutes would be spent on each candidate, and that interviews would take place over three days.

Each MP would be allocated a set amount of time to interrogate each candidate.

The committee had not yet started to compile a shortlist, as they had not yet had time to peruse the 363 candidates' CVs yet.

MPs only got these on Monday, August 14 and expressed unhappiness about the fact that Parliament's administrative staff had had them since June 30.